Biografia - S.O.B.

S.O.B (sometimes also known as SxOxB, which is an acronym for Sabotage Organised Barbarian, sometimes also known as Sounds/Symphonies of Brutality) formed in 1983 in Osaka, Japan. S.O.B are highly regarded as one of the leading pioneers of grindcore music and pushing the style onward. Originally S.O.B started as a hardcore punk band whom later played grindcore style music. Their music would soon evolve with the influence of metal music and they would evolve into a thrashing unit with many experimental tendencies.

Grindcore music is defined as hardcore punk music with thrash and sometimes death metal tendencies (better known as extreme hardcore punk in some cases). What S.O.B did along with the fathers of grindcore, Napalm Death, was further innovate the genre and influence other bands that would mimic their style or just have an impact on their own bands music. Both bands were known as the leading pioneers of the mass grindcore movement during the late 80's. Unlike Napalm Death, S.O.B has (and still) remain underrated and this is typically because they've never expanded their music out of Japan.

S.O.B were so much of an influence on many bands today, some obviously influenced by S.O.B's sound like Brutal Truth, Carcass and other grindcore units. One of the bands S.O.B influenced isn't the most obvious band to be influenced by them but were tremendously swayed by their sound. According to the book "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore" by Albert Mudrian, S.O.B has hugely influenced Napalm Death and the making of their classic album "From Enslavement To Obliteration." Lee Dorian (ex-Napalm Death vocalist, current Cathedral frontman) claims that many riffs for the making of "From…" were borrowed from S.O.B's music.

S.O.B's original vocalist Tottsuan died of a grotesque suicide in 1995 for reasons unknown. Due to this reason, S.O.B went on a depressive hiatus until 1998 when they drafted their musical friend Kevin Sharp (best known as the vocalist of Brutal Truth) as temporary stand in before Naoto (from avant-garde punkers Rise From The Dead) made the role permanent.

As of today, S.O.B still exist but play various local shows within Japan. They've been said to have joined ironically the mainstream crowd in Japan, playing "trendy" hardcore at big clothing conventions and so on very much in the vein of mainstream hardcore punk acts like Amen. While they're not grindcore today, their music still stands the test of time and their albums are treasure to many punkers/metalheads today, selling on websites like eBay for a good $50.00! S.O.B will always be remembered as one of the original pioneers of true grindcore music.